Best Friends, No Matter What
by WillowWinchester
Summary: Following the return of Toyman, Winn's father, Winn faces long-forgotten pain and newfound pain as he reflects over his love for Kara Danvers and the fact that she will never return it. If that isn't bad enough, he's got the flu to go along with it. (Implied Kara/Winn, but this fic is mainly to address the beautiful friendship between the two. Sick Fic!)


Winn sat alone in his apartment, eyes focused blankly on the empty wall across the room from him. The daylight shining in from the windows was long gone, and the clock read _'2:47AM'._ His mind still raged with memories of his father, both recent and from the distant past. He had spent his entire life trying to separate himself from his father, but now he knew. Nothing he did could ever erase the truth.

He was Winslow Schott Jr., son of Winslow Schott Sr., also known as the notorious Toyman. Now everyone knew. James, Miss Grant...Kara.

 _Kara._

Winn closed his eyes as he thought about her, half in pain and half in longing. Ever since he had met her, he had considered the two of them a match made in heaven. They were both undeniably kind, a little on the geeky side, and most importantly cared about others and believed in doing the right thing.

He was in love with her, he couldn't deny it. Kara Danvers, his weakness. So many things about her made him love her. Her genuine, beautiful smile...those dark-framed glasses that she was would always push up her nose when she was concentrating...and most of all her secret identity that she first revealed to only him.

 _Supergirl._

Winn had kissed her earlier, as she consoled him about his father. She had been so beautiful in that light, and he just couldn't resist the temptation any longer, even knowing that she was madly in love with James Olsen. But that look that she'd had after pulling away two seconds after their lips met...Winn couldn't wipe it out of his memory.

It had been almost...disgusted.

Winn's tortured thoughts were interrupted as his body was unexplainably attacked by a harsh coughing fit that lasted several minutes. When it finally ceased, he was doubled over as his abdomen flared with pain and his throat burned intensely. Winn straightened up slowly before having to immediately stretch out on the couch as an agonizing headache ignited from his forehead.

He lay helplessly for a time, delirium beginning to take over his mind. He was extremely hot, and then moments later he would be unspeakably freezing. A cold sweat filtered through his body, and he shivered, teeth chattering. Winn yanked his old wool blanket that hung on the back of the sofa and threw it carelessly over his body, curling into a fetal position.

His brain ached with exhaustion and his eyelids drooped, but despite his strong desire for sleep, it just wouldn't come. Still, he could do nothing except lie there.

Lie there yearning for the woman who would never love him back.

* * *

"James, have you seen Winn anywhere today?" Kara asked, poking her head into the man's office. Her cheeks flared with heat as his eyes met hers, even though most of her focus was on her best friend's absence. She was worried about him, to say the least, especially after what had happened between them.

"Don't think so." James replied, his brow furrowing in concern. "You think he's okay? Considering everything that went down recently?"

"That's what I'm worried about." Kara replied, once again digging out her cell phone and dialing Winn's number again. She pressed the phone to her ear and made her way back into the hall. Miss Grant would notice her absence sooner or later.

" _Eyy, this is Winn. Leave a message."_

" _Winn._ This is my fifth message, where the hell are you? Miss Grant is not going to be happy if she realizes you're missing. _Call me back."_

"Keera, my office!"

Kara overheard Miss Grant's call for assistance and she sighed, shoving her phone back into her pocket and scurrying as fast as she could to her boss's office.

"Yes, Miss Grant?"

"Where is your little friend? I'm having trouble with my computer and I need him." Miss Grant told her loftily, eyes not even leaving the screen as she spoke.

"Well…" Kara began awkwardly. "I don't know?"

That was enough to get Cat's attention. "Then find him." She said, staring down Kara and speaking as if it were the easiest task in the world.

"I…uh, haven't seen him at work today…and I've been kind of worried about him lately with everything about Toyman…" _And our kiss._ Kara thought, wincing internally at the memory as she pictured the crushed look in her friend's eyes.

Miss Grant sighed, as if the situation was a great inconvenience, and raised her eyebrows at her personal assistant. "Very well, then, Keera, you may check up on Toyman Jr. But be back before my lunch break."

"Yes, Miss Grant." Kara said breathlessly, already halfway out the door.

* * *

"Winn? _Winn."_ Kara pounded harder on his apartment door. She'd been standing there for five minutes and he still hadn't answered the door. She waited a second more, listening, but heard nothing from within. And then she instructed her eyes to burn, to see through to the other side. And what she saw caused a pit to form in her stomach.

Immediately, she jumped into action. Kara grabbed ahold of the door handle and pulled as hard as she could, hoping she could force it open with her brute strength. But in her panic, she pulled too hard and the entire door was ripped away from its hinges.

She barely stopped to assess the damage, rushing to her friend, who lay dead asleep and unhealthily pale on the couch with a wool blanket hanging off his unmoving body. "Oh, no…" Kara whispered, kneeling beside him. " _Winn."_ He didn't stir, and she rested a hand on his shoulder, noting with relief that his chest still moved up and down in the steady rhythm of sleep. "Hey." She shook him gently, trying to coax him to consciousness. "Winn, wake up." His eyelids fluttered slightly, but didn't open.

Kara then noticed the sheen of sweat that coated his face, and she pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "Oh, Winn…you're burning up." She murmured to her sleeping friend. "Okay…" Kara said to herself, abandoning her effort to wake him and instead taking action to care for him. She took a pillow and gently lifted his head, which rested only against the uncomfortable arm of the sofa, and propped him up a bit against the pillow. Kara grabbed hold of the blanket that was nearly falling off him and once more settled it across his legs and over his chest, tucking it at the sides so it stayed in place.

Even these two simple actions caused him to relax it seemed, and Kara smiled sadly down at him for a few precious seconds. After settling a damp, cool cloth against Winn's flaming forehead, Kara pulled a chair up beside him and fished out her phone, dialing James's number and settling back.

The other man picked up immediately. "Kara? Where are you? Cat's been asking for you."

"Why am I not surprised?" Kara grumbled, trying to keep her voice low. "Listen…she sent me out to find Winn, and he's not doing so hot. He's got a fever, and I'm worried it could be the flu. Could you do me a favor and tell Cat I'm calling in for the day? I can deal with the consequences tomorrow."

"Of course. Let him know that I tell him to feel better, okay?"

"Thank you, James." Kara said, smiling slightly before ending the call and focusing on Winn again. _I think condolences from James is the last thing he'd want to hear._ Already she could see color returning to his face, but he showed no signs of waking anytime soon. Kara was glad for that. If he was sick, he needed all the rest he could get.

And she would be there for him when he woke up.

* * *

It was a couple hours before Winn began to surface to consciousness. He had slipped into an even deeper sleep after Kara had made sure he was cared for and comfortable, and she had been convinced that he would sleep all day.

So when his eyes slowly opened, glazed with fever and exhaustion, Kara could help but huff out in surprise. But she immediately lowered her voice to speak to him as his eyes focused on her.

"Hey, Winn…" Kara murmured softly, gently pressing the back of her hand to his forehead. It was still sweltering and his body seemed to be radiating heat.

"Wha's happenin'...? Kara?" Winn mumbled. "Is this a dream? Are you real?"

Kara laughed lightly. "Quite real, I assure you." She tenderly brushed his sweat-soaked strands from his forehead and rested her fingers in his hair. "How do you feel?"

"Sleepy…" He replied quietly, his voice almost inaudible. His eyes were half-open, but still focused on her. He coughed laboriously and sniffed, wincing as if his head ached terribly.

"Can you stay awake for a few minutes?" Kara asked. He gave a small nod and Kara stood. "You have any chicken noodle soup?"

"Want chicken wild rice…" Winn muttered, eyes closed all the way now. Kara let him doze off again as she made her way into the kitchen. It only took a couple minutes for her to pour the soup and heat it up with her heat vision. In seconds, it was steaming.

Winn was half asleep as she fed him the soup. He only powered through about six spoonfuls before he turned his head away in disgust. "No more?" Kara guessed, regarding the furrowing of his brows, amused. He shook his head, already settling back down into the pillows. "Get some sleep."

She didn't have to say it twice. In just seconds, he was passed out.

* * *

 _Her crystal blue eyes stared into his, filled with love for him and only him. His hands cradled her face and her fingers caressed the nape of his neck. Winn tucked a lock of her golden hair behind her ear and she narrowed her eyes, smiling shyly._

" _I love you, Kara Danvers." Winn murmured, pulling her close to him. Her grin widened and she surprised him with a long, passionate kiss that caused his heart to flutter._

" _And I you, Winn Schott." Kara nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck and rested against him. "I want to wake up with you every day for rest of my life." She whispered, one hand caressing the hair on top of his head._

" _Ditto." Winn replied, causing her to giggle._

 _The warmth of her touch and the comfort of her presence lulled Winn and he soon found his eyelids getting heavy. Kara's chest moved up and down against him in the rhythm of sleep._

 _Winn relaxed even more and rested his cheek against the crown of Kara's head and closed his eyes, drifting to sleep with his arms around the woman he loved._

* * *

The moment Winn fell asleep in the dream world, he was jolted to the pain of reality. His head pounded as if someone was ramming a hammer against his skull and his stomach churned uncomfortably. He winced, shifting, which directed Kara's attention to him.

"Winn? I gotta go, James. He's awake. Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." The shy smile on her face was enough to stab Winn in the heart. She had had that same smile for him and only him in his dream. "Hey…" Kara greeted him quietly, taking his hand in hers. "How do you feel?"

Winn stared down at their interlocked fingers and tears began to inexplicably well in his eyes. Kara noticed and shock was evident on her face. "Winn? What's wrong? Hey…" She kneeled down beside him and took his face with her free hand. A tear slipped down his cheek and Kara wiped it away with her thumb. "Shh...it's okay. Just tell me what's wrong."

"I…" Winn began, voice raspy. He stopped speaking and just closed his eyes as more tears escaped his eyes. He silently cried and Kara sat with him, stroking his cheek tenderly.

"Do you want to go to your bed?" Kara asked quietly, after a time had passed and his tears had dried. All he could do was nod. "Okay. C'mere." She laced an arm around his shoulders and helped him sit up. That was when he took her back in his arms, as he had in his dream, and just cherished the feeling once again. Kara yelped in surprise, but willingly accepted his embrace, tightly squeezing him back. She pulled away and smiled. "You gonna be okay?"

Winn nodded, feeling almost worse after the tears had stopped. He knew, after he recovered and overpowered his emotions, he wouldn't be able to even look at Kara the same again. Maybe someday, but not any day soon. For now, though, he treasured her presence.

Kara supported him to his bedroom and helped him lie down. Winn couldn't hardly think as he settled back against his pillows. A coughing fit overcame him and he lay powerless after it subsided, too exhausted to do much else. She sat on the edge of the mattress beside him and took his hand once again. He looked up at her with heavy-lidded eyes, and she seemed to finally see what was wrong.

"It was about the other night, wasn't it?" Kara murmured. Winn blinked in response. She looked down, obvious pain in her eyes. Pain caused by the fact that no matter how hard she wanted to, she couldn't give him what he wanted. "Listen…" She trailed off, interlocking her fingers with his and squeezing his hand. "I may not love you the way you want me to, but, Winn, I promise you that I will _always_ love you, no matter what."

"Me too." Winn mumbled after a beat, his voice sleepy and a groggy smile on his face. "Friends?"

" _Best_ friends." Kara confirmed as his eyes closed all the way. "No matter what."

Winn drifted to sleep knowing that his best friend would always be there for him, and that alone made him happy.


End file.
